Sleepy Punishment
by SocialistBukharin
Summary: Lily Potter deals with two insufferable important people in her life. Written for the Houses Competition Year 5! Standard One-shot!


There were times Lily Potter, wife of an idiot and mother of a beautiful baby boy, regretted trying to play the role of mediator for two opposing sides. It wasn't her fault, or at least not something she consciously tried for the sake of bringing good in the world; it was a flaw present in her positive perception of life. It was something that her parents had nurtured and she had to refine during her experience at Hogwarts. Something that had never brought her much of a problem like the one in front of her: the two bickering adults as they tried and failed to make an effort for her.

It had been a small request, one she was starting to see as a terrible idea, but it was her birthday and… she still tried. So when Severus Snape, her childhood friend and part of her extended family, came to visit for the occasion like every year, the woman was already bracing for when James got sight of the Potion Teacher at Hogwarts.

The rivalry between the two was hardly over after her marriage, almost getting worse in a one way while also diluting into something less petty, but still childish. Lily was caught in this cycle of hate, and it was one of the reasons her little Harry would cry so much everyday, scared about his dad going against his 'Uncle Sev'.

It was Harry himself that sparked a renewed interest in the Potions Master, as he saw the toddler as 'the chance of an upstanding Potter' against the 'unbecoming mess that was his father'.

The rivalry was strong, but not easy to escalate after so many years. The Marauders would, once in a while, meet up for some card games and important events like birthdays and marriages, but only James kept up with this predicament, boasting how he would still "show-off Snivellus."

It did come to a point where they would end up meeting up in Diagon Alley and make scenes. Everywhere those encounters happened, the people around found those exchanges annoying and disruptive after few months of the same headbutting happening so many times.

Not even calling the Aurors to divide the two seemed to work for more than just a few hours and some were starting to voice some complaints about their ill-behavior and their bad influence; James, being an Auror himself, and Severus being a teacher at Hogwarts.

The tired mother sighed as she continued to lull her little child back to sleep, failing as his pair of green orbs would keep staring at the chaos created by the stupid men. If she managed to get Harry to sleep, then she could go ahead and bash those idiots back to silence; her little wish for her birthday forgotten and ditched for the sake of some rest.

It was at that point that Lily blinked, remembering that there was indeed something that she could do about this, something she had done years ago in Hogwarts and that… could work. With a mischievous smile forming on her lips, she silently took her wand and aimed it at the two distracted trouble-makers.

"_Somnium_."

Twice said, the whispered spells knocked out both James and Severus, both slouching in their chairs as Lily relaxed a little, the silence now back in that household once more and she was left alone… with her adorable baby boy.

Speaking of the angel, Harry giggled at seeing both annoyances going unconscious as puppets without strings, and Lily couldn't help but hum in agreement at the situation. This was indeed an amusing sight, especially after the hell she has been put through until now.

"Should we do something to them, sweetie?" It was an interesting thought forming in her head.

Harry cooed at her sugary tone, completely unaware that his dad and his uncle were going to get pranked pretty badly and quite soon.

She lulled the babe in her hold and was glad that his eyelids started to drop, his breathing softening as he soon was asleep in her arms.

Putting him back to his crib, her emerald gaze moved back to two unconscious adults and she decided it was time to bring this rivalry to an end.

Marauders' style!

* * *

Severus Snape slowly opened his eyes the moment his sore ears were suddenly taken by close groans and the clicks of a … camera at work?

His sight was blurry, possibly the result of some terrible prank starting to unfold, as he sighed and braced for some retribution from the reprobate that was James Potter.

Yet as he blinked in an attempt to regain some vision over the dreadful aftermath of some childish attack from his arch-nemesis, the Potions Professor was graced by something far worse than he had initially thought. He was straddled to something- no, someone with unruly, black hair, glasses and… annoyed brown eyes.

"_Potter_."

"_Snivel-_" **CLICK- Snap!** "_-lus?_"

The sound of the camera interrupted his comeback, forcing both men to glance to the side where the noise originated. They were greeted by an entertained Lily Potter, in her hands the blasted device taking photos of… them.

"L-Lily dear, w-what are you doing?" The former Gryffindor asked with the same confusion Severus was dealing with.

The woman's smile widened at the words but she replied quite smoothly. "I am getting my wish fulfilled."

**Snap!**

Another photo, another flash as the wizards were stunned for a brief moment, both by the blunt answer and the small thing taking more images of their predicament.

Soon their perception widened, bringing light to the fact they were on the couch near the dining room, the ropes tying them up were glowing a soft light, showing that those were enchanted and… there was some sign beneath the couch.

"_Wha-What is going on?_"Dread filled their minds as the familiar voice of Sirius Black broke the shock-fueled silence, the best friend of the older Potter coming from the fireplace, via the Floo Network, staring at the whole scene with a gaping mouth.

Said reaction was only momentary, as his gaze fell to the sign unknown to them and a snort launched from his lips, face reddening as he looked away, but not before nodding at the red-haired woman. Whatever was written on that suspicious piece of cardboard, it had to be incredibly embarrassing and-

Soon Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, _Albus Dumbledore and Minverva McGonagall_ joined in the amused Black in witnessing whatever was going on, much to the two unaware men's dismay.

The Headmaster of Hogwarts gave the most dignified of expressions, but still couldn't help but smile mirthfully at the sign. "It would seem like you have adopted a very… curious way to deal with the diatribe between Mr. Potter and Mr. Snape, Mrs. Potter."

What?

"I-Indeed." The Transfiguration teacher butted in, her face going scarlet, but out of amusement rather than any scandalous thought. "T-That is a very interesting r-reason to punish them, Lily."

_What is going on?!_

"R-Remus?"

Even the werewolf was failing to hold back some laughs from his mouth. "I-I'm sorry, James, b-but this is just-"

"H-Hilarious! Bwahahahahahahah!" Wormtail finished, crouching and holding his belly as he tried to hold back the loud laughs coming from it.

Meanwhile the wife and friend of those two poor souls continued to take photos of the predicament that befell them, and smiled happily at the pleasant results of her little plan.

Written in big, clear words in that pristine white cardboard was a simple sentence:

**We bickered so much that we made Lily's baby boy cry. We are sorry and thus we shall hug for Harry.**

This will surely become humiliating when her baby boy grows up to his teenage years and sees those photos while doing some minor nostalgic research of his family, but for now-

**Snap!**

\- Mama needed this, especially since this will help up avoiding some sleepless nights in the future.

They might put up a brave, pained outlook, but Lily was fine with it. After all, some payback after almost a decade of this annoying issue and now? Now, she could call this case solved… for a while at least.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**House: Snakes**

**Year: 5**

**Prompts: [Action] Casting a sleeping curse**

**Subject: History of Magic**

**Word Count: 1366**


End file.
